Raise the Hammer

Comment 65625

Just throwing this out there: But could it be that the media and/or police identify cyclists involved in collisions as "not wearing a helmet" to illustrate (albeit loosely), the type of the rider? (Serious riders generally wear helmets, while casual riders seem to be more inconsistant).

Media/police also report when they are wearing a helmet, and similarly they report when vehicle drivers & passengers were (or were not) wearing a seatbelt. A driver or passenger who is involved in a motor vehicle collision which results in injury or death is usually noted in the media as to whether or not they were wearing their seatbelt. If in the case they were not, then speculation is inferred that their death or injury may have been caused by the lack of the seat belt.

IMHO, Cyclists who wear helmets are percieved to be more responsible riders. I can honestly say that I've never seen a cyclist carrying a coffee whilst smoking a cigarette wearing a helmet...I wish I could say the same thing about that cyclist without a helmet. :)

Perceptions aside, perhaps the cycling industry as a whole should create some standards concerning riding practices, just as the automobile industry did with the AAA and CAA, versus a mixed gambit of what is and what is not important to a cyclist.